Homecoming
by PacificRomance
Summary: Blair was Chuck’s; they were perfect together. Chuck had let Nate have her without a fight ten years ago, but now he was back to claim what was his.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So this story is going to be AU. After 1x10, Chuck left and he didn't come back. So everything after that never happened. Also, I don't know why I've been hating on Nate so much lately, it's just that for this story I didn't trust myself to create a new character that would play such a major part. But for the record, I actually quite like Nate's character, especially this season.

This is my first deliberately multi-chapter story since my very first story (as requested by **ohh its love**), so I'm not sure how it is going to turn out, and I'm going to try and update as quickly as possible, but I can't guarantee anything…

* * *

This was it, he was coming back. Ten years later and he was going to make his grand re-entrance to New York.

Things were certainly different than they had been when he left. His best friend was now a city council member, one of the youngest ever, and he was married to the one girl Chuck had ever loved. Nate and Blair had gotten married after they had finished college, though they had been together since childhood, with Blair's relationship with Chuck becoming just a minor speed bump along the way that Nate still had no knowledge of.

Their marriage was part of the reason, actually a major part of the reason why Chuck was moving back to the city. He had not been able to make it to their wedding, despite Nate's request for him to be a groomsman, and if he had been present he almost certainly would have either been sick at the sight of the two of them together or he would have put a stop to the mistake that was being made. In every picture and every video Chuck saw of the beautiful couple, Blair looked miserable. Sure she put on the perfect society face, with the bright smile and flawless appearance, but Chuck had always been able to read her, and he could see the unhappiness behind her mask.

He knew better than anyone else what she looked like when she was completely and totally content. He had seen it pretty much every second of their short affair together back in high school.

Being apart from her and Nate all these years had not lessened his feelings for her, feelings that he had never experienced prior to nor since being with her. And the time and distance hadn't diminished the hurt he still felt when he thought of the night of the debutante ball and seeing her and Nate together.

He loved her. It was something he could only admit to himself; never out loud and definitely never to anyone else, but he was sure that it would quickly become clear to the world when he saw her again in person.

Nate had been the best friend Chuck had ever had, it was true, but he and Blair had never been right for each other. Blair was Chuck's; they were perfect together, and Chuck had let Nate have her without a fight ten years ago, but now he was back to claim what was his.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so this is just an introduction. It's not great, but it's been taking me forever to get this started, and I promise it will get better from here! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

When Chuck arrived at the Palace after flying back in to New York, he was surprised but pleased when he saw Nate and Blair dining in the hotel restaurant. He had the help take his bags up to his suite as he went to say hello to the young couple.

"Well, well, well," He smirked as he approached their table, "If it isn't my best friend and his lovely wife."

Nate smiled and stood when he saw Chuck, while Blair's eyes widened and her lips pressed into a stern, tight line. Nate reached out to shake Chuck's hand when he reached their table, "Chuck, it's great to see you! You didn't tell me you were coming to visit."

"I'm not visiting. I'm here for good; or," He said with a nod of his head, "at least for an extended stay."

"Well this is great!" Nate said with a wide grin on his face, "Isn't it great, Blair?"

Both men turned to look at Blair. She plastered on a tight smile as she looked at Chuck with cold, hard eyes, "It's just wonderful. New York hasn't been the same without you, Bass."

Chuck smirked at her sarcasm, "Thanks, Waldorf. It's good to know I've been missed."

"It's Archibald now, Chuck." She sneered.

"My mistake," He said with fake politeness as he put his hand over his heart, "And may I give you my belated congratulations on the nuptials. I am still sorry I was unable to attend the wedding."

"Thanks, man. You're only a couple years too late" Nate laughed as he clapped Chuck on the shoulder, "Why don't you sit down and join us? We could catch up a little."

"As much as I'd love to, Nathaniel, I'm going to have to take a rain check. I just got in, and I need to get my affairs settled. I only wanted to stop and say hello to two of my oldest friends." Chuck said as he looked between the young couple, pausing a little longer than necessary to look Blair in the eyes.

"Well it was great to see you, Chuck. We'll have to get a drink together soon."

"Definitely, Archibald." Chuck responded as he looked back at Nate and shook his hand again. "I'll call you as soon as I get settled. It was great to see you; and you too Blair" Chuck gaze swept over her before he turned and walked away.

He hadn't expected to run into the Archibalds so soon, but he was glad he had. He couldn't wait to get the information on their obviously loveless marriage from Nate, and he was especially looking forward to getting Blair alone so he could make her admit that the short affair she had had with him was realer than anything she had ever had with Nate.

* * *

A/N: Ok, I know this is super short. But the chapters will get longer as it goes on, I promise. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

When Chuck and Nate met up for drinks at the Palace's bar a few days later, it was just like old times. Nate filled Chuck in on everything that had happened on the Upper Eastside, what everyone was doing, who was married, who was divorced, who was successful, and all the latest scandals.

When there was a pause in the conversation, Chuck decided to broach the topic he was most interested in.

"So how is married life, Archibald?" He tried his best to sound casual as he asked the question.

Nate snorted as he swallowed the last of his beer before ordering another round, "What do you think?" he asked sarcastically.

"That bad, huh?" Chuck questioned.

"Well," Nate began as the bartender handed them their drinks, "I guess marriage itself wouldn't be so bad. It's just, I'm married to _Blair_, you know?"

"No, I don't." Chuck said shortly, trying to hide his anger at Nate's tone of disdain, "You two have been together since you were practically children. What could you have possibly discovered about her that could make your relationship so unbearable? Is she awful in the sack?"

Nate chuckled as he shook his head, "No, man, that's not it. When we actually do have sex, she's pretty good. She's no Serena, but…"

"Please," Chuck cut in shortly, barely able to keep himself from defending Blair, "spare me the details of your marriage bed."

Nate laughed again before becoming more serious, "See, the thing is, my parents wanted this, not me, you know? And I get why, I really do. Blair is perfect for the public eye. She looks good on my arm without stealing the spotlight. She always looks stylish and pristine, without being over the top or trashy. She's safe and conservative and she's social and likable without being too loud or drawing too much attention."

"So what's the problem, Nathaniel? Is she not blonde enough for you?" Chuck asked with a smirk as he took a sip of his scotch.

"She never really was my type, was she?" Nate said with a small smile before he shook his head again, "That's not even it though. All the things that bugged me about her when we dated, they've all just become so much worse. She's obsessive and difficult. She wants everything to be perfect all the time, and she's never happy with anything I do."

Chuck couldn't stop himself from cutting in, "But you've known all that about her for years, Nathanial."

"Yeah, and I thought I could get past it all, but she makes it impossible. I don't know how I put up with it, or how anyone else could. Maybe I could deal with it if she was a bit more like Serena, you know? But she's so dull and boring and plain. There's no excitement; no fun." Nate sighed as he took another drink from his beer.

As he drank, Nate didn't notice that beside him, Chuck knuckles were turning white as he gripped his scotch. Chuck saw that Nate still didn't appreciate what he had, and it took all of his self-control to keep from punching Nate and telling him off right there in the bar.

Chuck took a few deep breaths to calm himself before attempting to smirk at his best friend, "So, how hot is your mistress?"

Nate gave him an incredulous look before laughing, "You are awful, Chuck."

"Aw, come on Archibald," Chuck smarmed, even as he felt disgusted by the words coming out of his mouth, "Don't tell me you don't have a tall, leggy blonde on the side who's always ready and wet for you."

"Chuck!" Nate said in shock as he shoved his friend, though he still had a good-natured smile on his face, "My marriage with Blair might have come about because my family convinced me she'd be good for appearances, but that doesn't mean the whole marriage is a sham. The last thing I need is to worry about covering up some secret affair."

Chuck simply raised his brows skeptically at his friend, "Well, if you ever _want_ a mistress, just give me a call. I'm sure I'd be able to find you a good one."

Nate chuckled and slapped Chuck on the shoulder as they got up to leave. As Chuck made his way back to his suite he couldn't help feeling like there was more to Nate's marriage then he was letting on. Maybe it was an affair and Nate was lying, or maybe it was something else. Chuck wasn't quite sure yet, but he was definitely going to figure it out.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Hahaha. Not really, but anyways, again a shorter chapter, I'm sorry, but the story is starting to move along now, so just be patient, it's about to get juicier!


	4. Chapter 4

*Warning: When I said in the beginning of this story that I was hating on Nate, I was not exaggerating. Even if you are a huge fan of his character, you will most likely hate him in this story. He might seem kinda OOC, but at the end of this chapter I'm going to explain my reasoning behind his actions.

---------

Chuck was walking through his newest hotel, The Empire, which he had bought during his last trip to the city, when he spotted Blair sipping a martini at the hotel's bar.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of having New York's most beautiful woman in my hotel?" Chuck said with a smirk as he approached.

Blair looked shocked for a moment before her eyes narrowed in apparent disgust, "Oh yes, I forgot you bought this place. It's a shame really; this used to be quite the grand hotel."

Chuck leaned against the bar next to her, "And we both know I'll make it even greater, don't we Waldorf?"

Blair glared at him, "How many times will I have to tell you, Bass? It's Archibald now."

"You know I'll never call you that." Chuck said with an icy glare.

Blair simply rolled her eyes as she set her drink down, "What do you want, Chuck?"

"Would it be too farfetched for me to say I just want to know how you are doing?"

"Yes, it would." She replied shortly. "We haven't interacted on a single one of your visits since you left, why would you inquire into my well-being now?"

"Blair," he sighed, "You know that I had feelings for you that I have never had for anyone else." Chuck shook his head before looking into her eyes intensely, "I still do. I only left, and then avoided you, because I couldn't bear to look at you with Nate; especially after what we had."

"What we had?" She scoffed, trying her best to ignore the fact that he just confessed to having actual feelings for her, "Please, Bass. What we had was good sex. And, in case the drugs have destroyed so many brain cells that you still haven't noticed, I'm still with Nate."

"But you're not happy." Chuck stated simply as he absently traced circles on the bar.

"Excuse me?"

Chuck looked up and confidently met her gaze with his own sober expression, "You're not happy with him. And don't try to feed me the lies you tell everyone else. I know you, Blair. I can see right through your façade." He paused for a second and looked away as a bitter smirk formed on his face, "Though I have no idea how you could possibly endure staying with Nathaniel after experiencing everything with me," He looked back at her shocked face with a dark look in his eyes, "I _know_ you were better off with me. You were lighter, happier. And until you admit it," Chuck pushed away from the bar and leaned in close to her, "I'm not leaving." He whispered into her ear as he walked past her.

Once he was gone, Blair shivered from his closeness and the feel of his breath on her neck. Everything he said had been true, but she could barely admit that to herself, let alone to him or anyone else. Blair sighed and finished off her martini before ordering another round.

*****

As the elevator doors opened up to the apartment Blair shared with her husband, she moved quickly to the sitting room. She was late, her conversation with Chuck had rattled her and caused her to lose track of time at the bar. The New York Times was doing a profile on the youngest city councilman and his beautiful wife, and Blair and Nate were being interviewed that evening. Before she had run into Chuck, she had only stopped at the bar to have one drink to calm her nerves so she could make a good impression.

As soon as she entered the room, Nate walked over to her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of earshot of the reporter. "Finally, there you are!" He hissed once they were back in the hallway, "You're late. Where could you possibly have you been?"  
"I'm sorry. I just lost track of time." Blair said quietly as she rubbed the spot on her arm where he had grabbed her so roughly.

"Of course you did. You can be so careless sometimes, Blair! You know how important this interview is! Now it looks like I have some irresponsible, flighty wife who can't even show up to our own interview on time."

"Nate-" She put a hand on his arm to try and calm him.

"Don't touch me!" Nate slapped her hand away, causing her to gasp in shock, "I just need a minute to calm down. Just because you are completely incompetent and wear down my patience doesn't mean I need to completely blow this interview by snapping at the reporter."

Blair looked down meekly, "I'm sorry, Nate." She whispered.

"Yeah, well a lot of good that does us," Nate scoffed as he ran a hand through his hair, "Go and at least try to make yourself presentable while I try to fix this mess you've created. I'll deal with you later."

Blair nodded with wide eyes before she turned and hurried up the stairs. She should have known better than to risk being late today. She never should have stopped at the bar, and she knew she would really be regretting it after the reporter left.

---------

A/N: I know some of you might think Blair is completely OOC and she would never let herself get in a situation like this or be so weak and submissive, but let me explain. Given her history, especially with her bulimia and everything, we know that she is more concerned with public perception and appearing perfect, even if things really are falling apart. Also, you have to remember that this story takes place in a completely different world than the show. Think of how Blair was the first 10 episodes, and imagine what she would be like without Chuck. She would have been stuck in Serena's constant shadow as she tried to be better/perfect for Nate and her mother, both of whom could never be satisfied with her/would always be able to find faults. Without Chuck, she would have no one to accept her as she is or actually prefer her as she is. So, given that change, and her need for the apparent 'perfect' life, I think Blair easily could have become more submissive to a critical/cruel husband.

Also, I know Nate seems kind of OOC too, but let me explain. Given the relationship of his parents and the pressure from his family, I think it is plausible that Nate could have turned into this angry/harsh character. Seeing how controlling and angry his father was and how docile and obedient his mother was to him, might have served to mold his view. Also, given the fact that he is now in the world of politics and facing intense pressure from his family (the Vanderbilts) to appear perfect and have the perfect family and wife, without Chuck (who was always the one telling him to do what he wanted and not what his family wanted), it could easily follow that the pressure would push him to the edge and he would lash out at the one person he could kind of control, his wife.

So anyways, sorry about the longest author note ever. I just wanted to give some insight into where I'm coming from with these characters. I think the removal of Chuck from their lives totally could have changed the course of how the characters grew, and I wanted to explain before I got a bunch of hate reviews. That being said, I would love if you reviewed, even if you're still confused/unsatisfied. I'll try my best to explain better! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks so much for all your great reviews! I'm glad so many of you understood my explanation about the characters!

Anyways, I've had the second half of this chapter written since I started this story, I know it is another short one, sorry, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

* * *

Chuck had been in the city for a few weeks before he finally got around to visiting the Vander Woodsens. He hadn't run into Blair or Nate in quite a while, and he thought it was time that he saw the only family he had. He wasn't exactly excited for dinner with the whole Humphrey clan, but he felt he owed it to Lily to stop by, and he hadn't seen Eric in a long time.

The evening past quickly enough, with easy conversation and the occasional backhanded insult directed at Rufus or Dan. But by the time dinner was over, Chuck was ready to make his escape. He could only handle Lily and the Humphreys for so long.

As he was gathering his coat and getting ready to leave, Serena came up behind him, "Wait, Chuck. I need to talk to you about something."

"Not that I haven't enjoyed this evening immensely, Sis, but I think I've had enough family bonding for one night." Chuck said as he put his coat on. When he turned to look at Serena with a cocky smirk, his expression sobered at the serious look in her eyes.

"It's about Blair." She said gravely.

Chuck looked at her pointedly, "What about her?"

"She's absolutely miserable!" She exclaimed dramatically. Serena sighed as she shook her head hopelessly, "When she married Nate, she thought her fairytale was finally coming true just like she planned, but ever since the wedding she never has time for me, and when I see her at an event she always looks exhausted and stressed, like she's carrying this huge burden while being in the public eye. I don't know what it is, but she's different, and not in a good way."

"I'm glad to see you've finally gotten your head far enough out of the clouds to notice." Chuck said sarcastically in a quiet voice.

"Excuse me?" Serena scoffed as she put her hand on her hip.

Chuck gave her a condescending look as he adjusted the collar of his jacket, "Not that any of this is news to me, but why did you feel the need to share?" He asked casually.

"Because I know she is a huge part of the reason you came back here. And normally, I'd be the first person to tell you to leave her alone and let her live her life. But I'm telling you to do something. She's not the same Blair anymore. She's not my best friend; I hardly ever see her anymore. All I want is for her to be happy, and I know she was never happier than when she was with you. If anyone can save her, it's you."

Chuck tired to keep an impassive look on his face, but inside his heart was racing, "And what if I don't want to get involved? What if I don't care?"

"But you do. I know you do."

Chuck sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, "Look, I've already been working on it." A bitter smirk formed on his face as he moved towards the elevator, "I said all along that Blair and Nate weren't meant for each other, and now it seems like people are finally starting to believe me." The elevator doors closed as Chuck whispered to himself, "Even the happy couple themselves."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Ok, so the story is really going to start moving now. Thanks to everyone who has been following for sticking it out!

* * *

Two days after his dinner with the Vander Woodsens, Chuck finally decided to go over to the Archibald's apartment. He had spent the last two days constantly thinking about what Serena had said to him and he had come to the conclusion that if even Serena had noticed there was a problem then he didn't have as much time as he would have wanted to map out his plan of attack.

He had spent so much time dwelling on his conversation with Serena and on Blair's situation that he finally decided that he couldn't sit back any longer. On a whim, he found himself going over to confront her when he knew Nate would be out at the office.

When Chuck walked into the apartment, he felt a bit nervous, but it was too late for him to turn back. The maid told him that Blair was in the sitting room, so he quickly made his way down the hall.

When he entered the room, Blair immediately stood up and crossed her arms over her chest, looking very surprised and slightly irritated. "Chuck what are you doing here?" She asked with narrowed eyes as she moved around the sofa to confront him.

"You're supposed to be with me. Not with him," He said abruptly in a soft, husky voice, "You know it. I know it. Serena even fucking knows it." He continued as he slowly moved towards her with a penetrating gaze.

"I'm married; to your best friend. You, we, can't do this." She said with slight panic as he backed her against the wall.

"You don't love him. So don't use him as an excuse." He said as he put his hands on the wall, trapping her against it.

"I do." She tried to sound convincing, but the slight waver in her voice immediately showed her lie.  
"Don't lie to me, Waldorf. Look me in the eye and tell me you love him. Tell me you're happy. And I'll back off. I'll leave." He said darkly as he placed his face centimeters from hers.

"Chuck…" She breathed as she stared at his lips, placing her hands on his chest, trying to calm herself as her heart raced at his nearness.

"Tell me." He whispered desperately as he tilted her chin so her eyes met his.

Blair took a deep breath as she stared back at him, "Nate's my husband," She sighed. "I love him."

Chuck narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before moving both of his hands to her face, "Liar." He said simply as he crashed his lips down onto hers.

The kiss quickly deepened as Blair wrapped her arms around Chuck's neck and pulled him even closer. He pressed his body firmly against hers as she arched her back in pleasure.

Soon enough, Chuck's hands made their way down to Blair's hips and he gripped them firmly, causing her to flinch slightly in pain. He broke the kiss to look at her questioningly. He hadn't meant to hurt her, and he didn't think he had touched her too roughly.

"Sorry," she said as she tried to catch her breath, "I-I'm just a little sore there. I have a bruise. You know how clumsy I can be." She said offhandedly, looking down before meeting his gaze again.

Chuck only stared at her suspiciously, because he knew that while Blair Waldorf was many things, clumsy was never one of them. But he decided to let it go for the time being when she threaded her fingers in his hair and pulled his face to hers so her lips could capture his once more. He would have plenty of time to call her bluff and discuss what really happened with her later.

Things quickly escalated and Chuck soon lost himself in the feeling of having her so close to him again. His one hand was on her thigh, moving under the hem of her skirt as his other hand began to lower the zipper when they heard someone call out from the direction of the door, "Blair? Blair, where are you?"

Blair's eyes widened in fear as she pushed Chuck away from her and began to frantically try to tame her hair, "Shit. Shit, shit, shit. That's Nate. You can't be here. He can't see you. You have to go; you have to hide!" She said as she looked at him in horror.

Chuck simply smirked at her as he straightened his collar and patted down his hair. When he didn't move to leave the room or hide somewhere, Blair glared at him, "Well, why are you just standing there? Nate can't find you here!"

"Why would I hide, Waldorf?" Chuck asked furtively, "I stopped in here to pay a visit to my best friend. Why would I leave at his arrival?"

Blair's mouth dropped open as she continued to look panicked before what he was saying sunk in and she caught on to his plan. Immediately her mask, complete with a tight, fake smile was put into place as she called out, "Nate, sweetie, we're in here!"

"We?" Nate questioned as he walked into the room. But when he saw Chuck standing there an wide smile formed on his face as he moved forward to shake his friend's hand, "Chuck, what are you doing here?"

"I just stopped by to see if you wanted to get a drink; maybe smoke a few cigars." Chuck said casually with a smirk as he clapped Nate on the back.

"Well I just stopped by to grab some paperwork, but I think I have time for a quick smoke. Cubans I hope?" Nate said with a grin as he barely even glanced at his wife.

"Of course. Chuck Bass only ever has the very best." Chuck said in a cocky tone as he put his arm around Nate's shoulder and they began to make their way out of the room. As they turned into the hallway, Chuck discreetly looked behind him at Blair and sent her a subtle wink with his trademark smirk on his face.

A few moments after they left, Blair's phone buzzed on the table nearby, signaling that she had a new message.

_Don't worry, we'll continue this soon._

_-C_

Before she could stop it, a small, genuine smile formed on Blair's face. And for the first time in over ten years, the butterflies began fluttering in her stomach.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been almost three weeks since his encounter with Blair, and Chuck had still been unable to contact her. Every time he texted her she would say she was too busy to meet him and when he would stop by the apartment (he always asked for Nate first, just in case the maids got chatty), the maid would always say she was out or too busy or too sick to see anyone.

Finally, Chuck had had enough excuses and he went to her building and waited for her to come out. He waited in the lobby for about an hour before he saw Blair exit the elevator. He quickly made his way over to her and stepped in front of her before she was halfway to the door.

"What are you doing here, Bass?" she asked irritably.

"Oh, so we're back to the hatred phase, are we?" He asked with his usual smirk. "You've been avoiding me."

Blair got a haughty look on her face as she turned her nose up at him, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm very busy."

"Haven't we been over this?" Chuck narrowed his eyes at her, "You can't lie to me, Waldorf."

"Ugh! What do you want from me, Chuck?" She asked in frustration.

"We need to talk." He said simply.

"No, I don't think we do. I thought the three weeks of avoidance would give you a hint, but I guess I overestimated your intelligence." She said as she went to brush past him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, "Let go of me, Bass." She hissed as she pulled herself free from his grip, trying her best not to cause a scene.

"No, not until we discuss some things. I won't let you brush me off. We need to talk." He said again in a low whisper, "Now you can come with me and we can do this in private, or you can keep being uncooperative and we can do this loudly and publicly right here in the lobby. It's your choice."

She glared at him as she huffed in frustration, "Fine, let's get this over with."

"I knew you'd come to your senses." He said with a smirk as he led her out to his waiting limo.

………

When they got into the limo, Blair sat on the far edge of the seat as far from Chuck as possible and pouted as she stared out the window with her arms crossed over her chest. Chuck instructed the driver to drive around for awhile, as he waited for Blair to break her silence.

Finally Blair sighed and looked over at Chuck, "Look Bass, the other week was a mistake. It was a moment of weakness, and it can't, and won't, happen again."

Chuck met her gaze with a sneer, "Be serious, Waldorf. We both know that as long as I'm in town, which is going to be for a while, you won't be able to avoid me. You never have. It's going to happen again, it's just a matter of time. We're inevitable."

Blair groaned in frustration as she buried her head in her hands. After a moment she lifted her face and gave Chuck a disgusted look, "Nate's your best friend. I'm married to your _best friend_. I know you're a selfish, heartless bastard, but how can you do this to him?"

Chuck looked out the window, and Blair thought he was just going to ignore her, but then he said quietly, "Because I love you."

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared him and whispered, "What did you say?"

"I love you," He said before he slammed his hand down on the seat and turned to look at her with an intense gaze, "I fucking love you and I know he doesn't! I hear him talk about you and he doesn't care about you. He doesn't appreciate you. He sure as hell doesn't love you! He doesn't give a fuck about you. He only cares about his precious image and his career."

Chuck took a deep breath before he leaned his head back against the seat and pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes squeezed shut as Blair continued to stare at him like a deer in the headlights, completely speechless.

"I let him have you once without a fight." Chuck continued after a moment, finally opening his eyes to look at her, "But not anymore. He doesn't deserve you, and I can't sit back and let him have what never should have been his in the first place."

Finally, Blair's eyes narrowed in anger, "I love how you talk about me like I'm some sort of possession." She said sarcastically, "So do I get any say in this at all?"

"No." Chuck said simply.

"Why not?" She demanded.

"Because you'll choose him." Chuck said as he looked at her darkly, "You'll choose him because it's easy and it's safe and it's what is expected. It doesn't matter that you want me; that I can make you feel things he could never make you feel. It doesn't matter that I treat you better than he ever has or that I love you more than he ever could. You would still choose him, and I can't let you do that. I can't let you allow yourself to continue to be miserable. You deserve so much more."

"Chuck-" She began as she looked at him and shook her head sadly, "I can't just-"

"Shh." He quieted her with a finger to her lips. They continued to stare at each other for a few moments before he began to close the distance between them. When his lips were centimeters from hers, she suddenly snapped back to her senses and pushed him away, "I have to go." She said breathlessly.  
"Blair, don't-"

"No. I'm sorry, I really have to go. Stop the car!" she called to the driver who immediately pulled over to the side of the road.  
"Blair, calm down." Chuck tried to reason with her as he grabbed her arm, "Let me at least bring you home."

She pulled her arm free as she opened the door and got out, "No, that's okay. I'd rather walk. I-it will give me some time to think. Goodbye, Chuck."

Blair slammed the door shut before he could respond and walked away. Inside the limo, Chuck leaned his head back and ran his fingers through his hair. This wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped.

………..

When Blair arrived back to her apartment a few hours later, she found a very angry looking Nate waiting for her in the sitting room drinking from a bottle of whiskey.

"Where were you?" He asked bitterly as he took a sip of the whiskey.

"I was just out doing some shopping." Blair answered warily as she moved slowly into the room.

Nate snorted cynically, "Shopping? Is that what they're calling it these days?"

"What are you talking about, Nate?" Blair asked in confusion.

"The doorman saw you talking with some guy in the lobby." He said slowly as he rose from the couch and turned to face her, "He saw you two fighting and he saw you get in a car with him. He thought I would want to know."

Blair rolled her eyes once she realized what the doorman had seen, "Oh my God." She said incredulously.

Nate stalked forward and slapped her across the face, "Don't you dare roll your eyes at me! I am still your husband, even if you are a dirty whore, and you will show me respect in my own house!" He yelled furiously in her face.

Blair gasped and put her hand to her face, "Nate," she said timidly, "I'm sorry. It-it's just, the doorman, he has no idea what he's talking about."

"Are you calling him a liar, slut? Were you or were you not with another man today?"

She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I was," she said quickly before he could get even angrier, "but it was just Chuck!"

"What?" Nate breathed as he glared at her.

Blair took a deep breath to try and calm herself as she tried to explain, "Chuck stopped by and I ran into him in the lobby. He-he was being his usual smarmy self and we got into a little spat, but he apologized and said he'd help me pick out a gift for you, for your birthday, so we-we left together. It was nothing."

"You were with Chuck?" Nate asked skeptically.

"Yes, Nate, so you don't have to worry. You know that the very thought of him touching me makes me want to throw up." Blair said with a disgusted scowl on her face. It was a complete lie, but she couldn't tell Nate that having Chuck near her, let alone touching her, caused her heart to race in a way that it never did around her husband.

Nate looked into her eyes and nodded, accepting her story. He then excused himself and walked out of the room, taking the bottle of whiskey with him, not even bothering to apologize for his actions or his accusations.

Once he was gone, Blair let out the breath that she didn't know she had been holding as she sank down onto the couch. She reached up and gently touched her cheek where Nate had hit her. She would need to get some ice, she thought to herself, so it didn't swell too much. As she sat there, she thought about Chuck and Nate and she realized that Nate did in fact make her heart race, only he made it race in fear, not in anticipation and love like Chuck did.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. This chapter was like pulling teeth, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Thanks for all the reviews so far, I appreciate them all!

……………………………………….

The next day Blair waited until Nate went to the office for the day before she left to go see Chuck.

When she arrived at his apartment, Blair raised her hand timidly and knocked softly, second-guessing her decision to come and see him. But when Chuck opened the door he simply raised his eyebrows in surprise before he moved aside and gestured for her to enter.

She walked quickly and deliberately to the couch and sat primly on the edge with her hands grasped together on her lap. He followed behind leisurely before taking a seat in the chair next to her.

"Well this is a surprise," Chuck said as he looked at her quizzically, "You were the last person I was expecting to find at my door this morning, especially after the way you ran out of the limo yesterday."

Blair sighed as she looked down at her hands nervously, "I'm sorry, I-, it's just-, everything you said, it was-, well, it was true. And I didn't know how to handle it."

Chuck continued to watch her and when she didn't continue he asked slowly, "And now?"

Finally she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "Now I want to be with you more than ever. I want to be loved. I want to be happy. I want _you_. But Chuck, Nate can never find out. It would absolutely devastate him."

"So what? Why should I care about his feelings?" Chuck sneered.

"Because he's still your best friend and he's still my husband."

"You're going to stay with him?" Chuck questioned angrily.

Blair closed her eyes and put her head in her hands, "I have too!" She said before she threw her hands up in frustration and looked at him pleadingly, "Chuck, I can't just leave him. It's not that simple. There's so much you don't understand."

"Then enlighten me." Chuck cut in bitterly.

"I can't!" Blair exclaimed as a few tears began to fall down her cheeks, "Please, Chuck. I need you. Just try to be understanding. Please. I-I can't just go back to life without you; not after knowing that you-, that you actually care about me, even after all this time."

Hearing the slight doubt in her voice, Chuck quickly grabbed her hand and interrupted, "I do; and that's never going to change, Waldorf."

She smiled at him sadly and squeezed his hand before she looked away from him, "I always thought it was just me who felt it. I never imagined that it was possible that you could feel the same way I did when we were together."

"How could I not?" Chuck asked quietly as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, "You are the only woman who has ever held my attention. You're the only one I could never get sick of; the only one I can't get enough of. You're perfect, Blair, and anyone who doesn't see that is either blind or a complete idiot."

Blair shook her head a chuckled quietly to herself, "I don't know how you do it, but you almost make me believe you."

Chuck sighed as he got up and moved to sit next to her on the couch. He still held her one hand in his and he reached up with his other hand and turned her face towards his, "Blair-" he whispered before she cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"Don't. Don't say anything." Blair said as she removed her finger and took both his hands in hers, "I need you Chuck, but I can't just leave Nate. Please, stay. Don't give up on me."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to." He replied quietly as his thumb stroked the back of her hand.

Blair gave him a soft smile before she moved to settle herself on his lap, "At least we've done this whole 'sneaking around' thing before." She said as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, and look how good that turned out for us the last time." Chuck replied bitterly as he began to stroke her hair.

Blair lifted her head and put her hand on his cheek so his gaze met hers, "We're older now, and we're not trying to hide any feelings, or anything, from each other. There won't be any misunderstandings or any fights at any balls." She said with a laugh as she tried to lighten the mood. "We're not keeping anything from each other; just from everyone else." Blair paused as she stroked his cheek and rested her forehead against his, "Okay?"

"Do I really have a choice?" Chuck asked with a sigh, "I'd rather have you like this than not at all." He gave her a quick kiss on the nose before smirking down at her as his hand made its way up her thigh, "Plus, I'm sure once you are reacquainted with my sexual expertise you will soon tire of the little illusion you have going on with Nathaniel and come running to me permanently."

Blair raised her eyebrows at him skeptically "We'll see about that," She said before she moved so that she was straddling him on the couch, "But if you want that to happen, I suggest you start showing me all these _amazing_ skills you claim to possess in the bedroom, I think I may need more reminding then you anticipated."

Chuck growled as he moved forward and captured her lips between his. Before long, he stood as Blair wrapped her legs even tighter around his waist and he carried her to the bedroom to show her exactly what she had been missing all those years they had spent apart.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: So, I really don't like how this chapter turned out, but it had to get done so we can move on to the next chapter, which should be a lot better!

* * *

Chuck and Blair's affair had been going on for almost three months, and so far there had been no major obstacles. Everyone, including Nate, still had no idea about the relationship between the two brunettes. They didn't see each other every day (that would have been impossible), although they made sure to at least contact each other if they hadn't been together for a few days.

But it had been almost two weeks, and Chuck still had not heard a word from Blair, not even a text message. He was starting to become concerned, so he waited for her in his limo outside her building, and he made the driver follow her when she took a taxi to a couture clothing store a few blocks away.

Chuck followed her into the store, and when he finally caught her eye as she was looking through some of the outfits on display, he signaled for her to follow him to the dressing room.

She scowled before trailing after him into one of the big, private dressing areas. Once the door was closed, Chuck turned to her with a glare, "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"Wow, paranoid much?" She said coolly as she raised an eyebrow at him, "I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been really busy lately, plus Nate's been around a lot, and he _is_ my husband. I can't just sneak off with you whenever I want."

"That hasn't seemed to pose a problem anytime before." Chuck said darkly as he stalked towards her.

Blair tried to remain defiant, but she couldn't help but take a step back as he approached, only to find that she was backed into a corner. He stopped a few feet from her and smirked, "What, are you scared of me now, Waldorf?"

"Of course not." She scoffed.

"Then would you care to explain to me why it is that I have not received so much as a simple text message from you in almost two weeks?"

"I told you, I haven't been able to get away from Nate." She said quietly as she looked away from him, "There wasn't much I could do; I don't want him to get suspicious."

Chuck closed the distance between them and placed his hand on her cheek so her face rose and she was looking at him again. His face had softened as he looked at her almost tenderly, "You could have at least called, or sent me a message, or something. I was starting to get worried."

Blair leaned forward to place a quick, chaste kiss on his lips. She smiled at him as she stroked his jaw, "Don't worry about me, Bass. I can handle myself." She said coyly.

Chuck smirked as he whispered against her lips, "I'd much rather you let me _handle _you."

She giggled as he leaned in the last few centimeters and kissed her deeply. After a while he broke away from her with a groan, "How the hell did I go ten years without you? Two weeks is too long now."

Blair smiled seductively as she pulled his mouth towards hers again, "Well, lucky for you we finally have some time together now, so stop wasting it with all this talk."

Chuck heeded her words and quickly pushed her against the wall, pressing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. He pushed up her skirt and her legs wrapped around his waist as his hands moved to clutch her ass. As he put his hand underneath her shirt and began to push it up her torso, Blair stiffened and immediately pulled it back down, "Chuck, stop." She said as she gasped for breath.

"Why?" He asked as he tried to kiss her again.

Blair pushed him back slightly as her breath evened, and he could see a hint of fear lingering in her eyes that he didn't understand. He had never given her any reason to be afraid of him.

"Blair, what's wrong?" He asked gently.

"Nothing," She said with a shake of her head before her seductive smirk returned, "We just don't have enough time for that."

Chuck looked at her suspiciously, but when she began to rub against him and kiss his neck, his mind quickly clouded.

"Blair-" He began before she cut him off with her finger. She leaned in close until her mouth was right against his ear, "Please, Chuck, if you don't hurry up, we're not going to have time for anything."

Her hot breath in his ear and the want and urgency in her voice was enough to make him completely forget his worry as he ripped off her La Perlas, unzipped his pants and took her without removing any more clothing.

He was so caught up in the ecstasy of finally having her again that he didn't take time to notice that her hand kept drifting to pull down the hem of her shirt. He focused so much of his attention on trailing kisses along her face and neck that he never had the chance to see the almost faded bruises on the inside and back of her thighs.

She was glad he didn't notice. She had definitely missed him in the two weeks they had been apart, but she couldn't have risked him seeing the marks Nate had left. She couldn't have him see her shame and humiliation. She didn't want his pity, and she didn't need his help. If there was one thing Waldorfs were known for, it was their ability to survive through anything on their own.

……………………………..

When Blair arrived home later that day, she had a slight smile on her face as she hummed softly to herself. But as she walked into the foyer, she noticed two packed bags sitting on ground and she frowned in confusion. At that moment Nate walked in, looking at his phone before looking up when he noticed her standing there, "Oh, Blair, you're back already?"

"It's after five. I have to set up tonight's dinner menu with the cook." She said matter-of-factly.

"Oh right," Nate said absently, as he began to fiddle with his phone again, "Just have him make whatever you want. I'm leaving tonight to head up to the capital for some business."

"Oh." Blair said, trying her best to hide the hurt in her voice.

Nate, noticing her pout, stepped forward and pressed a light kiss to her forehead, "Don't worry, Blair, it's only for the weekend."

"But we have Serena's charity dinner tomorrow night!" She protested as Nate strolled back over to his bags, still working on his phone.

He glanced up at her for a moment as he lifted the phone to his ear, "Well, I'm sure you'll be perfectly capable of representing the both of us. Now, I have to make a few important calls before I go. I'll see you Sunday night?" He asked as he stroked her arm affectionately.

"Sure." Blair said quietly.

"Great. I love you, Blair." Nate said as he kissed her hastily and walked out of the room, already talking to some business associate.

"Love you too." Blair snorted to herself before a genuine smile broke across her face as she realized what this news meant. She quickly dug her phone out of her purse and sent a message to Chuck:

_Make sure to clear your schedule for the weekend._

_-B_

Almost instantly, her phone buzzed in her hand, signaling the arrival of a new message.

_Already done. Nate informed me of his plans earlier._

_-C_


	10. Chapter 10

The weekend of Nate's business trip, Chuck and Blair spent basically every moment together. When it came time to go to Serena's party, the duo was actually dreading it. They would have to go separately and spend most of the evening apart. It was not the ideal situation for their last night alone before Nate returned. But they had committed to attending, so they had to at least make an appearance.

At the event, Chuck spent most of the time sitting at the bar, occasionally talking to an acquaintance when they stopped to get a drink. He watched as Blair talked in a group with Serena and a few other society women. She had a huge grin on her face and she looked so genuinely happy that Chuck couldn't help but stare at her in wonder. She was almost glowing, and he knew it was all because of him.

Serena looked up from the conversation and caught Chuck staring at Blair as she laughed at something one of the other women said. When they made eye contact, Serena simply smiled at her step-brother and mouthed the words 'thank you,' acknowledging the visible change he had brought about in her best friend. Chuck nodded back with a smirk before he turned back to the bar so that no one else would notice his fixation on a certain brunette.

Dinner came and Chuck was disappointed to find that he was not seated near Blair. The meal went by quickly enough, with only a few covert glances passing between Chuck and Blair across the table.

After dinner, Chuck finally had the opportunity to approach Blair alone. She was lounging at the bar, sipping some champagne when he came up beside her, "You don't look so good, lover." He said mischievously.

"What are you talking about, Bass?" She asked as she turned to face him with a slight scowl. She wasn't sure if anyone could overhear them and she didn't want other people to be aware that her heart jumped at his voice and she had to focus to keep her breathing even.

He reached out with the intention for it to appear that he needed to steady her, though in reality she was completely stable, "I think you've had a bit too much to drink, Waldorf. Maybe it's time for you to head home." He drawled with a smirk.

"Oh please," She scoffed, "I've barely had two glasses of champagne. I'm nowhere near tipsy."

"Since your husband is out of town, it is my duty as his best friend to get you home safely this evening," Chuck said pointedly before he leaned in and whispered, "Whether it be your home or mine."

Blair continued to stare at him for a moment before she realized what he was hinting at. Instantly, she was just as eager to leave the party as he was, "Well, I am feeling a bit faint. Maybe it would be a good idea for me to retire early. I just have to say good-bye to Serena."

Chuck smirked as he helped her down from the bar stool. She walked over to Serena trying to act slightly inebriated. When she reached her best friend, Blair placed her hand on Serena's arm just a little too heavily as she leaned forward slightly, "S, I had a great time tonight, but I really must be going. I'm feeling a little dizzy." Blair said with the hint of a slur.

"Oh Blair, how much have you had?" Serena exclaimed, "Do you need some help getting home?"

"No, no. I'll be fine. Chuck is going to come with me." Blair said as she waved absently behind her in the direction of Chuck, who simply nodded at the blonde as he waited for Blair.

"Okay B," Serena said somewhat reluctantly, "Just text me when you get home, Okay?"

"Sure, sure." Blair said vaguely as she turned and walked off, making sure to stumble slightly into Chuck so he could put his arm around her waist without drawing suspicion.

Once they were in the elevator they both started laughing as Chuck pushed her against the wall, "My, Waldorf, I didn't know you were such a great actress. That was almost Oscar-worthy."

"Why thank you, Bass. I've seen you and Serena wasted enough times to have perfected a false state of inebriation."

"Mmm, and you looked extremely hot while doing it." Chuck murmured into her ear.

Blair giggled coyly, "Well, if you think that was hot, you have no idea what you're in for tonight."

Chuck groaned as he leaned forward and captured her lips with his.


	11. Chapter 11

Nate returned from his business trip and a week later decided to have some of the guys (including Chuck, of course) over to have a few beers and watch the Knicks' game.

Blair, being the dutiful housewife that she was, made sure to greet each of the gentlemen before letting them enjoy the game on their own. She made her way around the room, giving each man an air-kiss and asking about their families. When she came to Chuck, she greeted him with a simple "Chuck," and kissed him quickly on the cheek before moving on to the next person. Chuck discreetly watched her as she walked around, and he noticed something that immediately caught his attention and raised his suspicions.

A few minutes after she had left the room, Chuck excused himself to use the bathroom, but instead he went to find Blair. He entered the kitchen to find her putting some things away in the cabinets. When she heard him enter she spun around in surprise, "Chuck, what are you doing in here?"

Chuck didn't say anything, instead he just stalked forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her sleeve up to expose what he thought he had saw before. She tried to pull her arm out of his grasp, but he held on and lined his fingers up perfectly with the dark purple marks on her wrist to reveal a hand-shaped bruise.

Blair's eyes widen in horror as he glared at her. His breathing got heavier with anger as he hissed, "He did this to you, didn't he?"

"Chuck, please," She pleaded, "I can explain."

"I'm going to kill him," Chuck said as he turned to go after Nate, but Blair reached out and grabbed his shirt before he could leave.

"Wait!" She begged, "Chuck don't do this now, not with all these people here."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go out there and expose him for the son of a bitch he is." Chuck spat.

"Because it will humiliate me," Blair said as she took a step towards him and put her hand on his cheek. "Please Chuck, don't do anything right now; don't do this to me. I promise I'll come by tonight and I'll explain everything to you."

Chuck took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair, "Fine," he sighed, "I won't say anything. But only for you."

"Thank you." She smiled as she kissed him quickly.

Chuck ran his hand down her arm softly before turning and leaving the room.

When he rejoined the men, Chuck found that he couldn't concentrate on the conversation and he could barely even look at Nate without becoming infuriated, so he tried to just focus on the game. But even then his mind kept drifting to Blair and the horrible bruises on her wrist. Soon enough, his anger at Nate began to get out of hand and before he did something he would regret, he took out his phone and got up, telling Nate some unexpected business had come up and he needed to leave.

Nate was confused and disappointed, but he saw Chuck to the door and said good-bye, promising to get together soon. It took all of Chuck's self-control to keep from hitting Nate then and there. Instead, he smirked tightly and agreed before leaving as quickly as possible and heading home to wait for Blair to come over and explain things.

………………………….

Later that night, Blair showed up at Chuck's door, explaining that she told Nate she was going over to Serena's for a few hours.

Chuck allowed her to enter the apartment before closing the door and turning to face her. She looked at him pleadingly as she said, "Chuck what you saw, it-, it was just an accident. Nate, he-, he never meant-, it wasn't on purpose. I-, I was just so _stupid_."

Chuck cut her off with a raised hand. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her, "Take off your clothes." he ordered.

"Excuse me?" She asked as she looked at him with a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Take off your clothes." He repeated slowly as he walked forward and began to unbutton her shirt.

Despite her confusion, Blair soon complied and he stepped back to let her do it herself. She didn't know why he was asking her to do this, especially because he wasn't making any moves to touch or kiss her. It didn't seem like he wanted sex, by why else would he want her naked?

Finally, Blair was down to just her bra and underwear. She stood before him awkwardly, slowly beginning to feel more and more self-conscious as he scrutinized her, until he moved to stand right in front of her. Slowly he ran his hand over each of the bruises on her body, beginning at the one on her wrist before moving up her arm and over her shoulder, then down her back and across her thigh. Blair could barely breathe as his hand made the slow, tender journey down her body.

After he had caressed each and every visible bruise Nate had left on her, Chuck moved his hand back to her wrist and lifted it to his lips so he could press a soft kiss on the marks there. Blair gasped at the intimacy and the feel of his lips on her skin. He then retraced the path his hands had just taken with his mouth, pressing gentle kisses to the bruises in various shades of discoloration that littered her body.

Once he had completed the journey a second time, Chuck rose and took Blair's face between his hands. He looked her right in the eye, and she could see the deep sincerity in his gaze as he spoke solemnly, "I won't let him do that to you _ever_ again. I promise. He won't get away with this."

Blair began to shake her head sadly. He didn't understand. There was nothing he could do; not without exposing their affair, causing a huge scandal, and losing his best friend. She could never force him to do that. "Chuck-," she protested before he interrupted her with a kiss.

"Shhh. Don't think about it now. We can deal with it later." He said as he took her hand and led her into the bedroom. All he wanted to focus on now was making her forget about the pain and remind her exactly how perfect she really was.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Blair opened her eyes and realized instantly that she wasn't in her own bed. The events of the night before came back to her, and she sat up in a panic. She quickly got out of bed and began gathering her clothing as her stirring caused Chuck to wake up. When he saw her getting dressed he was immediately wide awake and he reached out stop her, "Whoa, Waldorf. Where are you going?"

"I have to get home, Chuck. I shouldn't have stayed here. Nate will be wondering where I am." Blair said with fear in her voice, "Shit, shit, shit." She muttered to herself as she searched for her shoes.

Seeing her fear, Chuck got out of bed and slipped on his boxers as he spoke to her, "Look, Blair, I'll go with you. I don't want you to face him alone, especially if he's going to be angry. Plus, I want to give that little bastard a piece of my mind."

"No, Chuck, not now. And anyway, he's probably at the office, so it would be pointless for you to come." She reasoned with him.

He stared at her seriously as he responded, "You can't just go back to him like nothing happened. You can't keep letting him get away with what he does to you."

Blair sighed as she put on her shoes and looked at him, "I know. I just-, I can't deal with it right now, okay? I need to get home. I'll call you later, alright?"

Chuck frowned, but he leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently, "Okay." He said as he let her go.

Blair smiled softly before she turned and walked out the door.

………………

Blair arrived back at her and Nate's apartment and was shocked and frightened when she saw Nate lounging on the couch in the sitting room.

"Nate!" She exclaimed, "What are you doing home? I thought you'd be at work by now."

"I took the day off." Nate said darkly.

Blair was a little frightened by his tone as she responded, "Oh."

"I called Serena when you didn't come home." He continued, "She told me you two never had plans last night. She said she hadn't seen you since last weekend."

Blair held up her hands and backed away as he came closer to her, "Nate, I can explain."

"There's no need to explain. I know where you were, you dirty whore. You're having an affair, aren't you? Aren't you!?" He yelled as he grabbed her arms and shook her roughly.

"No!" She said, trying anything to calm him. "Please Nate, I would never-"

"Don't lie to me!" He roared as he slapped her across the face, knocking her to the ground. "Why, Blair? Why do you have to be such a slut? What do I have to do to make you appreciate all I've done for you?" He asked as he stepped towards her and kicked her a few times.

Blair whimpered as she curled into a ball, bracing herself for the pain that was sure to come.

………………………

Later that night, Chuck heard a knock on his door. He had been sitting at home all day, waiting to hear from Blair, so at the first sound, he jumped up from his seat to answer. He opened the door to find Blair standing there with huge, fresh bruises covering her face and tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

Chuck took one look at her and before she could even say anything he muttered lowly, "That son of a bitch," as he pulled her to him and held her tightly while she finally broke down and cried.

…………..

A/N: I know this chapter is short, but the next chapter is pretty long, and the drama is really starting to unfold now. Please keep reading and reviewing, I greatly appreciate it!


	13. Chapter 13

A few hours later, Blair awoke in Chuck's bed with his arm draped lightly over her waist. When he felt her stirring, he leaned over her and smiled as he stroked her cheek and kissed her softly. He was being so tender, trying not to hurt her, but she still winced, causing him to pull back and apologize softly.

"It's okay. It's not your fault." She reassured him as she tried to smile.

Chuck carefully ran his hand over her face, touching her cut lip, her swollen eyes, and the red hand print on her cheek. "You know," He murmured as he pushed a strand of her hair off her face, "We should take pictures of what he did to you."

Blair opened her mouth to protest but he held up his hand to keep her quiet, "Hear me out before you argue, Waldorf. They would be good to have for the divorce." Chuck gave her a knowing look as he reasoned, "He won't be able to say anything to the public about our affair if you have proof of the abuse to hold over his head. You'll be able to protect your reputation and get away from him."

Blair bit her lip nervously and looked down before sighing, "Maybe you're right."

Chuck took her hand and lifted it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to the back, "Don't worry, it will only take a few minutes. I promise."

Blair nodded hesitantly as Chuck got up and crossed the room to get his camera. He took a few shots of her face, first from the profile and then straight-on. He then took pictures of her arms and thighs, before she lifted her shirt so he could photograph the marks and bruises all along her ribs, torso, and back.

Blair tried her hardest not to cry throughout the process from the humiliation and the pain, but Chuck could see the tears in her eyes. He hated seeing her so hurt, but he knew that it was something that needed to be done. He couldn't let Nate get away with what he had done to her. Chuck tried to make the process as easy as possible, taking the pictures quickly and whispering encouragement. When they were finished, he put the camera on the table and went to her, holding her as tightly as he could without hurting her further. He stroked her hair as he told her how beautiful and perfect she was and that she was safe with him; he wouldn't let anything happen to her ever again. Seeing her so broken only caused Chuck's anger at Nate and his desire for revenge to continue to grow deep inside him.

When Blair had pulled herself together, she sat up straight, wiped away her tears, and tried her best to give Chuck a strong smile, "I should check my phone." She said as she rose from the bed.

She grabbed her purse and took out her phone, seeing a bunch of missed calls from both Nate and Serena, who Nate must have called when he couldn't contact Blair.

"How many times did he call?" Chuck asked quietly from his place on the bed.

"At least a dozen; and he left five messages." She sighed as she sat back down and shook her head, "Maybe I should call him back."

"Why?" Chuck sneered, "You don't owe that asshole anything."

"Chuck, he's my husband…" She said softly.

Chuck placed a hand on her leg so she would turn and look him. He looked at her tenderly as he almost begged, "You have to leave him, Blair."

"I know I do. I just don't want this to turn into a public spectacle. I don't want him to go around claiming I was a cheater and my affair was the reason for the divorce." Her voice cracked as she tried her hardest not to break down again, "I don't want to ruin my reputation; I've worked too hard for it."

Chuck embraced her again as he reassured her, "He won't, I promise. Even if he wants to, I won't let him. With these pictures, he won't be able to say anything bad about you without risking not only his social standing, but also his entire political career. You're fine, Blair. You're finally safe."

The couple remained like that for a few moments before Blair pulled away and stood up, smoothing out her clothing as she turned to him with her hands on her hips "I still need to get my stuff from the apartment. This place isn't exactly equipped for a female resident." She said with a smirk to try and lighten the mood.

"You don't have to do that. I can hire someone to get what you need." He said smoothly as he took her hand and tried to pull her back to the bed.

"No, Chuck." She scolded as she pulled her hand out of his grasp, "There are specific things I want out of that apartment, and I would much rather handle it myself."

Seeing how serious she was Chuck immediately stood up, "Fine. I'll come with you."

"No." Blair said quickly. Chuck narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously before she explained, "I-, I don't want you to. I'm not ready for the scene you will cause." When he opened his mouth to protest, Blair continued before he could speak, "And I-, I don't want to force you into anything. Nate is your best friend. Just because my relationship with him is over doesn't mean yours has to be."

Chuck stepped forward, put his hands on her hips and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "My relationship with Nathaniel was as good as dead the moment he laid a hand on you."

"Even so, I think it would be best if you didn't come."

Chuck glared at her, "Well, I'm not going to let you go by yourself."

Blair wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, "I don't _want_ to go alone." She murmured.

"So what are you going to do?" He asked softly as he stroked her hair.

She pulled away and nervously fingered the collar of his shirt, "I think I'm going to call Serena. I'll have her come over here so I can explain everything and then she can go with me. I think it's about time she knows."

Chuck held her close again, "I think that's a great idea." He responded as he kissed the top of her head, "How about you call her and then take a shower while you wait for her to get here?"

Blair gave him a small smile, "That sounds perfect."

…………..

Serena came over that night and Blair told her all about her marriage with Nate and why she had been so different over the last few years. Of course Serena became extremely upset and claimed she was a horrible friend for not realizing what had been happening. Blair reassured her that it wasn't her fault and that no one knew what had gone on.

But by the time they finished talking it was later than expected, so they decided to wait until the next morning to go to the Archibald apartment.

When they arrived at the apartment, Blair was wearing big glasses and a scarf around her head to hide most of the bruises that were on her face. As soon as they walked in the door, Nate hurried into the foyer, "Blair! Thank God it's you. I was getting so worried!" he exclaimed as he reached forward to embrace his wife. But Blair stepped backward, holding up her hands to stop him. "I'm just here to pack some of my things." She told him as she stepped around him and went into the bedroom.

Blair pulled out a suitcase and began packing some of her stuff with Serena's help. Nate followed them into the room and watched with a fearful expression. "Blair, what are you doing? Please, don't do this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Please, just give me a chance!" He pleaded as he stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.

Blair jerked her arm away from him and stared him down. "Stop apologizing, Nate. It won't do you any good; not anymore. I'm packing my things and I'm leaving. I want a divorce."

At her words, Nate's face went from remorse to anger. "Where do you think you're going to go? You have nowhere to stay."

Serena stopped packing and glared at him, "You know that she could always stay with me."

Before Nate could form a retort, Blair spoke, "But I already have somewhere else to go."

"Where?" Nate asked incredulously.

"That is none of your business."

"Of course it is! You're my wife!" Nate spat, "And what do you think you're going to do without me? Huh? You're twenty-eight years old and you've never worked a day in your life. How are you going to survive without my income?"

Blair finally paused in her packing and looked at him defiantly with her arms crossed over her chest, "Well, Nate, even disregarding the Waldorf family fortune that I am set to inherit, I think I'll be just fine with the divorce settlement I'm going to get from you."

Nate threw his head back and laughed bitterly. He then stared at her with hard, cold eyes before he sneered, "What judge is going to give you support after I tell them about your little affair?"

Blair simply raised an eyebrow at him as she replied, "What judge is going to side with you when I tell them you hit me?"

Nate's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't dare…" He growled.

"Oh I would." Blair said ominously as Serena zipped up the suitcase that she had finished packing, "Now, I'll send someone over to get the rest of my stuff later. And if you don't want the whole city to find out exactly what kind of husband you are, then I suggest that you stay away from me."

Without so much as a backward glance, Blair brushed past Nate and exited the apartment as Serena followed her with an smile on her face that she just couldn't hold back. This was the fiery, confident Blair she had been missing. The Queen B was finally back.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Just to clarify, in this story Bart is still alive and still married to Lilly. After Chuck finished school in Europe, he went to work for Bass Industries there, but now he is back in New York to begin training to take a larger role/take over the whole company eventually. Also, at this point in their lives (10 years after high school), you have to remember that both Serena and Eric have their own families (spouses, kids) so when I refer to 'the other guests' or w/e, that's what I mean. Hahaha, I just don't want anyone to be confused!

…………

Blair had moved out of her apartment with Nate and had been staying with Chuck for a little over a week and still no one knew about their relationship except for Serena. They were trying to keep it quiet until her marriage was officially over in order to avoid any sort of scandal.

But Lilly and Bart were having a family dinner and as usual, Blair and Nate had been invited. The couple had no family left in the city, with her parents in France, his mother in Connecticut, and his father in prison, so the Bass's always made sure to include them into their blended family.

Chuck and Blair thought that the dinner might be a good time to inform his family of their situation, since everyone would be gathered together in a private setting. Blair figured that Nate would not be attending after her confrontation with him at their apartment earlier that week, but she and Chuck still decided to arrive separately so as not to cause confusion before they revealed their relationship to everyone.

Blair arrived at the Bass' penthouse first, and when she walked out of the elevator, Lilly came over and greeted her, "Blair! It's so good to see you." The older women gave her a kiss on the cheek before gesturing towards the main room where everyone else was socializing, "Nate already arrived a few minutes ago."

At her words, Blair's eyes widened and she stopped short, "Nate's here?"

"Of course he is." Lilly said, seemingly shocked by Blair's confusion, "He said he had to come straight from the office and that he was meeting you here."

"Oh, right. How could I have forgotten?" Blair said, trying to mask her unease, but when she saw Nate standing across the room a cold chill ran down her spine. When his eyes locked with hers, she tried to keep her breath calm as her heart raced with fear.

Nate approached her once Lilly had gotten distracted by one of the maids and he wrapped his arm around her waist as he pressed a soft kiss to her hair. "Can we go talk in private?" He asked as he began to steer her down the hall away from everyone else.

Nate led her to an empty room at the far end of the hall and closed the door. He turned to her with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. "How long are you going to keep up this little charade, Blair? When are you going to come home?" He asked bitterly, "We both know it's only a matter of time. You need me just as much as I need you."

He had moved closer to her as he spoke until he was only a few feet away from her while she remained close to the wall, as far from his as she could be. Her eyes were still wide with fear and she was playing nervously with the rings on her fingers. She looked down at her hands as she answered him softly, "I-, I'm not coming back. I want-, I want a divorce." At her last words, she was finally able to look at him, with some amount of defiance present in her eyes. Her time with Chuck had already brought back at least a small part of her fighting spirit.

The word 'divorce' immediately caused Nate's face to morph into an angry scowl as he shoved her against the wall, causing Blair's fear to return instantly.

Meanwhile, Chuck had arrived at the penthouse shortly after Blair and Nate had left the room to talk, and the first thing he did at his arrival was ask his step-mother where Blair was.

Lilly looked surprised at his inquiry, "Oh, um, I think her and Nate went off somewhere to talk. They came separately." She said in explanation.

"Shit!" Chuck exclaimed softly as he hurried down the hall in order to find them, leaving behind a very stunned Lilly.

Chuck noticed one room with the door closed, and he knew immediately they were in there. He opened the door and walked in to find Blair hunched over and quivering with fear as Nate stood over her so enraged that he hadn't even noticed the door opening. He was yelling right in her face, "When are you going to be grateful for all the shit I've gone through for you? Who else would want a pathetic, little bitch like you?"

As soon as he saw the couple, Chuck rushed forward and pulled Nate away from Blair. "Get the fuck away from her!" He shouted.

Nate stumbled a bit before he looked at Chuck in complete shock, "What the hell, man?"

Chuck was breathing heavily as he glared at Nate, only looking away briefly as he tilted Blair's face upwards and asked her tenderly, "Are you okay?"

When she nodded he turned back to Nate, making sure he remained between him and Blair. "Get the fuck out of my hotel this instant, Archibald. You're not welcome here anymore." He said threateningly.

"What is your problem, Chuck? I was just talking to my wife. There's no issue here."

Chuck snorted as he sneered, "Just like the discussion you had with her last week? Was there no problem then?"

Nate's face dropped for a second before his eyes narrowed and he looked back and forth between Chuck and Blair, noticing the way Chuck was standing in front of Blair protectively. "What the hell is going on here?" He hissed.

"I think that is fairly obvious, Nathaniel." Chuck replied with a smirk.

Nate glared at Chuck before he turned his angry gaze back to Blair. "Chuck? _Chuck_ is the guy you're fucking behind my back? My best friend?" He laughed bitterly as Blair tried to hide further behind Chuck. "You really think he _cares_ about you? That he is going to stick around? I hate to break it to you, Blair, but he never stays with one woman for long; never more than a couple of nights. And he would never keep someone as plain and pathetic as you around."

Before Blair could stop him, Chuck lunged forward and punched Nate in the jaw. Blair cried out in surprise as Nate went sprawling backwards.

He was still hunched over holding his face, when Chuck strode over to him and punched him again, causing him to fall backwards against the wall. He was leaning against the wall for support, barely able to stand. Chuck reached forward and wrapped his hand around Nate's neck as he leaned forward close to Nate's face. "See, that's where you are wrong, Archibald. Blair is anything but plain or pathetic. She's extraordinary and beautiful and perfect." Chuck hissed before he shoved him away, "And I haven't been able to get enough of her, nor will I anytime soon. I've been with her for three months now, not even including the month we were together back in high school before I left for Monaco."

A look of bewilderment passed over Nate's features, and Chuck noticed immediately. He smirked darkly, "Oh, that's right. You weren't aware of that were you? You never knew that I had her way before you ever did. Well, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you. I always appreciated what you never could. You were too enamored with what you couldn't have to see what was right in front of you."

Chuck went over to Blair, who was standing against the wall with tears in her eyes, and took her hand in his. He pulled her into his body before putting his arm around her waist and kissing the top of her head. Once he held her close, he turned back to Nate and gave him a menacing glare, "Now, I'm not going to tell you again, Nathaniel. Get out of here before I call security. I don't want to see you near me or Blair ever again."

Nate stepped away from the wall slowly and looked at the couple as he wiped the blood from his nose. "Look, Chuck," He tried pleading, "She's my wife…"

"Not anymore." Chuck interrupted coldly. "Her lawyers will be over in a few days with the divorce papers."

Nate's face hardened once again before he walked across the room. Once he was at the door he paused and turned back to face them, "Don't think I'm going to let her go without a fight." He threatened before he exited the room.

"Neither will I." Chuck whispered quietly into Blair's hair while he held her tightly against his chest and she gripped his shirt tightly in her hands, feeling completely safe for the first time that night.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I'm so sorry it has taken me forever and a day to update. This was only supposed to be half a chapter, but it's taking forever for me to write the rest, so I just decided to post what I had. I know its short, but I felt bad making you all wait longer! Hopefully I'll be able to finish the next chapter (aka what was supposed to be the rest of this chapter) tomorrow.

………….

A few days after the altercation at the Bass Penthouse, Nate went public with the fact that he and Blair were separated. He told the press that he still loved her, but that she wanted her freedom and he wasn't going to hold her back. The public immediately interpreted his words to mean Blair was the one who instigated the separation, though the cause was still uncertain. But when pictures surfaced of the soon-to-be ex-Mrs. Archibald with Chuck Bass, the most notorious womanizer in the city, and when it came out that she was now living with him, people came to the conclusion that Blair's affair with the young playboy led to the end of her marriage.

Nate played up the role of the victim, claiming that he still loved Blair and he didn't want their marriage to end. He made it public knowledge that he was willing to work things out with her and forgive and forget if she wanted to come back.

Chuck and Blair refused to discuss Nate or their relationship with the press, though they were not subtle about their love. They were seen out together all over the city; at restaurants, walking through Central Park, and shopping at all the designer boutiques. They even began to make appearances at big social events together as a couple.

Even though Blair was extremely happy with Chuck and away from Nate, and even though it seemed like she could care less about the public's perception of the situation, deep down she was humiliated and infuriated by the way the press had painted her as a cheating whore and Nate as the loyal and loving husband.

Knowing how the situation was hurting her, Chuck had his private investigators working around the clock to find something to use against Nate and permanently ruin his reputation. But despite their best efforts, they couldn't find anything. All they had were minor transgressions from Nate's teenage years, like his marijuana use and the whole incident with Lady Catherine, which he had already public addressed. Chuck still had the pictures of Blair, which he knew wasn't enough to actually convict Nate of the crime. Chuck would need some sort of further proof that Nate had actually been the one to cause the injuries, but the accusation alone would cause enough scandal to cause some serious damage to his career. The only thing that kept Chuck from using the photos was the fact that their release would cause even more scrutiny of Blair and only further hurt and humiliate her. He could never subject her to that, even to bring down Nate.

One day, Chuck was in his office, once again studying the file he had on Nate, when Blair waltzed right past his secretary and into his office. She closed the door abruptly and stood before him with her hands on her hips. "He has to go down." She stated sharply, "I'm sick of his innocent victim act. He can't get away with this."

"I know, Blair." Chuck said as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "I've been doing all I can to ruin him, but I haven't been able to find anything to use against him."

"Except the pictures." Blair cut in.

Chuck scrutinized her for a moment before he shook his head, "No, I can't do that. I won't put you through that. Plus, they're not fool-proof. There's no evidence that it was actually Nate who did it."

"I know." Blair said softly as she walked towards him with a sultry sway of her hips. "What if I told you I had a plan?" She asked seductively as she fingered the lapel of his suit.

"I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. Tell me about this plan of yours." Chuck growled as he pulled her onto his lap.

……..


	16. Chapter 16

Nate had just walked through the door of his apartment after a long day at the office when his phone started ringing in his pocket. Without bothering to look at the caller ID he answered gruffly, "Hello?"

"Nate?" Blair said tentatively.

Nate got a smug smirk on his face as he loosened his tie and sat on the nearby sofa, "What do you want, Blair?"

"He left me." She whispered brokenly. It sounded like she had been crying. "I-, I saw him kissing some skinny blonde model." He heard her take a shaky breath, "Look, Nate, I know you warned me about him, and I know you don't owe me anything, but do you think you could take me back after everything I've done? Could you give me another chance? Please?"

Nate leaned back into the couch as his smirk grew. He had always known she'd come crawling back to him. It was only a matter of time before Chuck got tired of her and the public scrutiny got to be too much. His plan had worked. He let out a small chuckle as he answered, "Of course, Blair. You're my wife. I always knew you'd come back."

……

A few hours later, Nate heard the elevator doors opening into the apartment, so he made his way into the foyer. He saw Blair standing there, and instantly a smirk grew on his face. He leaned in the doorway and looked her up and down, "Well, I hate to say I told you so, but you should have known better, Blair. Chuck is never going to change, especially not for someone like you."

Blair didn't react to his words; she just continued to stare him down from her place by the door.

Nate's face fell slightly as he stood straight and glared at her, "Where are you bags?"

"I'm not moving back in with you. That was just a ploy to get you to let me back in here." She said coldly, "I'm only here to give you this." Blair took a few steps forward and handed him a thick envelope.

"What is this?" Nate scowled as he tore the package open. His eyes narrowed when he took out the pictures that were in the envelope. He looked at the pictures of her bruised body as she said ominously, "As you can probably tell, those are pictures of me, after the last time you beat the shit out of me. And if you don't stop with your whole innocent victim act, bad-mouthing me to the press, I'm going to release them and let everyone know exactly how 'innocent' you really are."

Nate eyes widened slightly as his head jerked up to look at her, "You can't do that," He said with a hint of panic in his voice, "You have no proof that it was me."

Blair crossed her arms as she gave him a condescending smile, "It doesn't matter. The accusation alone will do enough damage to your public image_ and_ your career."

Nate strode over to her and pushed her against the wall. He put his hand around her throat as he roared, "You ungrateful little bitch! You are going to keep your mouth shut, even if I have to force you to. I'm not going to let you ruin me."

Blair clawed frantically at his wrist, trying desperately to pull him off of her so she could breathe. She was starting to panic when the elevator door opened and Chuck and Serena hurried in. "Blair!" Serena shrieked as she rushed forward. Nate dropped his hand and backed away, but Chuck had come in with his phone ready and had already taken a photograph of the incriminating scene.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nate asked as Blair ran over to Chuck. He held her close as he sneered, "You have just given us everything we need to completely destroy you."

"You son of a bitch!" Nate growled as he stalked towards him. Chuck quickly stepped forward, away from Blair, to meet him. Nate tried to take a swing at him, but Chuck dodged it. The two men began struggling against each other as Serena took a shocked and terrified Blair by the arm and pulled her away from the conflict and into the elevator while she took out her phone to call for help.

After the elevator doors closed, Nate finally landed a punch, hitting Chuck in the nose and dazing him, which allowed Nate to hit him again. Chuck stumbled back against the wall and held his bleeding nose. "You've ruined me, Chuck." Nate said menacingly as he approached slowly, "Don't think I'm going to let you get away with it. I'm going to make you regret ever coming back here."

Nate grabbed Chuck by the collar and pushed him against the wall. "Do your best, Archibald." Chuck spat as Nate began to raise his hand to strike again.

But just before Nate could attack, the elevator doors opened once again and the building security entered and quickly pulled Nate away from Chuck. He struggled against them as he shouted, "Get off of me! Do you know who I am?"

Chuck stood up with some help from one of the security men and wiped at the blood on his lip. "Don't you get it? It doesn't matter who you are anymore, Nathaniel," He said with a dark glare, "You crossed the wrong people and now you're going to pay for it."

Nate stopped struggling against the men holding him as he stared at Chuck, finally afraid. He knew Chuck better than most people, and he knew that he never made idle threats.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Hi. Don't hate me. I'm really really sorry that it has taken me so long to update, but this week was crazy for me. This is the last chapter of this story, so I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks to everyone who's been following the story. This was the longest story I've ever done, so hopefully it turned out pretty good. Enjoy!

* * *

Nate's arrest for domestic violence that night made headline news not only in New York, but around the country as well.

Chuck, of course, had been hesitant when he had first heard Blair's plan, claiming it was too dangerous and he wasn't willing to put her in harm's way once again. But she had been able to convince him it was the only way to get rid of Nate for good, and when he saw the end result, he realized she had been right.

After the arrest, Blair refused to press charges, despite Chuck and Serena's initial urgings. She said that she did not want to go through a very long, public trial and she just wanted the whole ordeal to be over with. Plus, she knew that even without the trial and conviction Nate's reputation was pretty much destroyed.

But before she dropped the charges, Blair and Chuck met with Nate and his lawyers. They told him that they were willing to let the case go as long as he left the city and never came back. Nate readily agreed, knowing that starting over far away from Chuck and Blair was really his best and only option.

Once the charges had been dropped, Nate stepped down from his position on the city council and released a short, simple statement saying, "The events of the last few days have made me see that I have become a person that I never wanted to be. There is no justification for what I have done and there is no way for me to take it all back. All I can do is ask for forgiveness and work towards becoming the type of person who is worthy of that forgiveness and respect."

Soon after he stepped down, Nate left the country to go work for a friend of his grandfather's in Europe. His departure made it into the news, but by that time, most people were glad to see him go and had turned their attention to Chuck and Blair and their picturesque relationship.

A short time after Nate left and his divorce from Blair became final, Chuck and Blair became engaged. They planned to marry a little over a year later, and as the date approached their wedding became the social event of the season in the city.

In all of the time since everything that had happened with Nate, Chuck and Blair had rarely spoken publicly and when they had, it was never about Nate or what had occurred between him and Blair. But a few weeks before her wedding to Chuck, Blair decided that she would do an interview about the whole ordeal and finally clear the air so she could start fresh with her new husband.

In the nationally televised interview, Blair explained her relationship with Nate, saying that it was never the picture-perfect marriage that the media painted it to be. She smiled politely as she explained, "Our relationship started off good enough. We were never really passionately in love, but we could have ended up happy together. We started dating when we were 14, so obviously things weren't always bad. In the first years of our marriage, Nate was the same as he had always been; kind and docile, and maybe even a bit boring."

Blair laughed softly before her expression sobered, "But when he neared the end of law school, the pressure he was under started to affect him. He-, I don't think he ever really wanted the life he had. He never wanted to go to Dartmouth, but that's where his dad wanted him to go. He never dreamed of being a politician, but that's what his grandfather pushed him to be; that's part of the Vanderbilt legacy. He never even wanted me, not really. Sure, he liked me, and on some level I think he loved me at some point, but our parents had basically been planning our wedding since we were children. We were _expected_ to end up together, even if it wasn't necessarily what we both wanted."

She shook her head sadly as she continued, "Nate had all this pressure on his shoulders to match up to the picture perfect life that was planned out and expected from him. Eventually, that pressure just got to be too much and I-, I think he just felt out of control, so he began to take out his frustration out on me, the one person he felt like he had some power over."

As she recalled the painful memories, tears began to form in Blair's eyes. Seeing her pain, Chuck stepped in front of the camera and sat down next to her, putting an arm around her waist and taking her hand in his. The interviewer handed Blair a tissue as she continued, "At first, it was just verbal stabs, telling me things like I was stupid and useless and ugly, or that I was a burden and I couldn't do anything right. Only after a while did he begin to be more violent. First he would only push or shove me or grab me a bit too roughly, but eventually he started hitting and slapping me and leaving bruises all over my body."

Blair carefully wiped away the tears, doing her best to keep her make up intact, "I always had self-esteem issues from the time I was young, and without any sort of stable support his constant criticism very nearly broke my spirit. I had gotten to the point where I almost believed what he said about me. Don't get me wrong; it didn't happen overnight. It was a gradual process, so even my closest friends didn't realize what was happening until I had basically become a different person. I didn't do a lot of the things I used to love. I didn't go out, I didn't socialize. I became quiet and withdrawn; choosing to stick by Nate's side at dinners and events."

The interviewer gave her a perplexed look, "But how did you keep it a secret from everyone? How did no one know what was happening?"

Blair's lips turned upwards slightly in a forlorn smile, "I was a pro at making everything seem fine, even if it wasn't. I was taught from a young age that when you step out into public it should always be with your head held high and a smile on your face, even if your entire world is crashing down around you." She shook her head as she laughed bitterly, "And Nate, he was a politician, so he obviously had perfected the art of lying and making a good public appearance. We both wore these masks of perfection that no one could see through."

"So what changed?" The interviewer asked, "Did someone finally see through the charade?"

Blair's eyes brightened as she looked at Chuck and squeezed his hand, "Chuck did. He came back from Europe and noticed right away that I was merely a shell of the girl he remembered. He didn't just let it go either, he came back determined to fix things."

She looked at him lovingly as Chuck simply shrugged his shoulders, "I could see it in her eyes. I knew she was unhappy, but I never imagined that things had gotten so bad. Once I realized what the real problem was, I couldn't just let her stay with him."

"He was _furious_." Blair said with a slight roll of her eyes, though her gratitude was still evident. "At first I wouldn't let him do anything about it. I wanted to avoid the scandal and maintain our good public image. But after Nate beat me again, probably the worst one ever, Chuck finally convinced me to leave him. He made me realize that nothing was worth the hurt and pain he was causing. He made me see that I deserved better."

"And now, with Chuck, things are better?" The interviewer asked.

Blair beamed and her smile widened, "Oh definitely; there's no question. Chuck and I, we've always had something special. He was always different with me, even when we were kids. No matter how he acted around other people, or other girls, he always treated me with respect. In high school we were actually together for, like, a month and it was the greatest, happiest time of my life; better than any of the years I spent with Nate. But we were both young and stubborn and emotionally scarred and immature, so it didn't work out and he went to Europe."

"But now things are different?" The interviewer prompted.

"Of course." Blair stated matter-of-factly. "We're both older, we're both more mature, and we're both ready to be open and honest with each other. My feelings for Chuck have always been greater than anything I ever felt for Nate. I love Chuck in a way that I never loved Nate, and I know he feels the same way. I know a lot of people blame him for our divorce, but my feelings for him had nothing to do with the end of my marriage. I always knew, ever since that month we were together in high school, that my feelings for Nate would never even come close to what I felt for Chuck, but I still stayed with him. Something as trivial as a lack of love would have never been enough for me to end a marriage, especially one as public as mine was. It wouldn't have been worth the public scrutiny and the scandal, no matter how much I may have loved Chuck, or how hard he may have pursued me." Blair locked eyes with Chuck and smiled as he pulled her closer.

"One more question." The interviewer said, "If you ran into your ex-husband today, is there anything you would want to say to him after everything he did to you?"

Chuck scowled and answered before Blair could formulate a response, "I would ask him what the hell he was doing here and tell him to get far, far away before I have someone take him away."

"Chuck!" Blair admonished as she hit him lightly on the chest.

"What? That is exactly what I would say to that bastard if he ever came anywhere near us ever again."

Blair merely shook her head reproachfully before she turned her attention back to the question, "Do you want my honest answer? I would ask him if he was finally happy, and then I would tell him that he never should have crossed us; that he should have known better."

….

A few weeks after the interview, Chuck and Blair were married at the Empire in one of the biggest weddings New York had ever seen. The interview had only increased the public support for their relationship, so the attention on their nuptials was overwhelming. For their honeymoon the couple escaped to a private resort on a tropical island in the Caribbean.

Blair was sitting in a lounge chair on the beach enjoying the sun as Chuck stood nearby getting them drinks. She watched him as he began to approach and she couldn't help but marvel at how everything had turned out. She thought back to when she was younger, when she had considered Chuck to be the devil and Nate to be the prince charming. She grinned in realization as Chuck handed her a drink and kissed her softly on the lips. It turned out that Nate was always the villain dressed up as the hero and Chuck had been her knight in shining armor hiding in the shadows behind the mask of a villain, waiting until she needed him before he revealed himself and saved the day.


End file.
